What You May Not Have Known

California residents should be mindful of their tenant’s rights with regards to water damage, especially in California. Water can cause extensive structural damage to a property in addition to taking a toll on personal items. Water Damage and flooding are two of the most common damages that can occur in a rental property. Water damage in rental units can also occur as an “act of landlord,” when pipes break, drains clog, and roofs leak.

When a property has been damaged due to flooding or plumbing leaks, landlords have certain responsibilities to their tenants. Landlords are responsible for repairs to the damaged property. Tenants, who may have to temporarily relocate while repairs are in progress, do not have to pay rent during the repair process. Tenants can also call local health officials if they suspect mold damage due to water leaks.

Landlord’s responsibility for repairs before renting a rental unit to a tenant, a landlord must make the unit fit to live in, or habitable. Additionally, while the unit is being rented, the landlord must repair problems that make the rental unit unfit to live in, or uninhabitable. (division, 2013). After water damage or flooding, if your landlord has not taken care of the problem you and your family are now at risk for exposure to mold.

Exposure to mold in an indoor environment can be dangerous to the health and well-being of occupants with symptoms ranging from runny nose, headaches and a scratchy throat, to memory loss, sinus infection, and asthma attacks. Mold concerns should be addressed immediately. In addition, children at any age of development are more susceptible to mold than adults. With an immune system that hasn’t fully developed and a weaker bodily system, overall, kids may experience more severe health symptoms after being exposed to an indoor mold contamination.

The removal of mold from an indoor environment is conducted in a safe and controlled manner by an industry trained Project Manager and Certified Mold Remediation Technicians. The mold remediation process follows strict protocols from the IICRC for on-site containment, surface decontamination, air purification and treatment actions to remove existing mold and prevent future mold growth.

Considerations to this may be if the source of the leak or flood is caused by the tenants own negligence or misuse, the landlord can charge you for the cost or the repairs or deduct it from your original security deposit depending on the amount of the damages. Tenants may believe the landlord is responsible for repairing or replacing personal items, such as clothing or furniture, damaged by water. This is not the case. Tenants cannot hold a landlord liable for replacing damaged items. They can, however, file a renter’s insurance claim for any personal items damaged due to flooding or water leaks.